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Monday, February 6, 2017

LGE: PAS makes fiery remarks but look at Kelantan

He says Kelantan is a failed state and economic issues are more likely to influence voters than anything else.

GEORGE TOWN: PAS can make fiery speeches but it still will not be able to solve the problems affecting the people, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said today.

“They can be extremist and make fiery statements, but will that solve problems? Fill people’s stomachs?

“Will they solve Kelantan’s economic troubles?

“The Kelantan government is still unable to build homes for flood victims from three years ago. Kelantan is a failed state.

“These problems are still unresolved while they make fiery speeches,” he said at the Penang Development Corporation Chinese New Year open house today.

Lim, who is also Penang chief minister, was asked to comment on PAS’ remarks that it was working with Umno and Barisan Nasional because the Malay party could be relied upon compared with other “anti-Islam” parties.

PAS spiritual leader Hashim Jasin was reported to have said his party had to choose between working with “oppressive Muslims” or “anti-Islam non-Muslims”.

Hashim also said DAP – a former ally of PAS in the Pakatan Rakyat alliance – was anti-Islam and had refused to uphold the religion.

Lim said PAS was taking a “very extremist and chauvinistic line”.

“I think this is their tone, which puts them closer in alignment with Umno. It makes it easier for them to work with Umno,” he said.

Asked if he thought PAS and Umno would work together in the polls and become a threat to Pakatan Harapan, he said:

“I think they will do that. We will let the people decide.”

He said the main issues voters will consider when going to the polls will still be economic issues.

PAS and DAP have been at loggerheads since they broke ties in 2015 over PAS’ insistence on implementing hudud in Kelantan. The break-up saw the end of the previous Pakatan Rakyat coalition.

Pakatan Harapan now consists of DAP, PKR and Amanah. Amanah is a splinter party of PAS, led by progressive leaders who resigned from PAS.

PAS has ruled out all possibility of working with DAP and Amanah. -FMT